Should You Ever Let Your Lawn Go to Seed. Is micro clover the way to go? If this is too unpredictable, watering the space lightly after broadcasting the seed is recommended. I have relied on Jonathan Green products for about a decade now and have strictly adhered to their regimen and one of my neighbors has done the same, but just started their lawn a couple years ago. Coated seeds contain the essential bacteria that clover needs to effectively fix nitrogen. While micro clover was designed for mixed grass/clover purposes, that doesnt mean you cant sow a pure micro clover lawn. But there are still a couple reasons why people might not want a full clover lawn (2): 1) Clover stains clothing more easily than grass. The sowing rate for an existing lawn is 1.5 pounds for 10,000 square feet. Though widely adapted, it is best suited to soils which have good moisture-holding ability. However, I live 20 minutes North of Boston and this year my BBU grass was turned into straw. RELATED: 15 Natural Pest-Control Strategies for Your Home Landscape. Both of us use Black Beauty Ultra and Ive been overseeding every other year. Clover doesnt require any additional fertilizer either! Autumn-planted annual clovers are often grown in mixtures with annual ryegrass and/or smallgrain (usually rye, wheat, or oats) which provide more autumn and winter production. If youre not 100% tied to the idea of clover and are open to a drought-tolerant grass Id consider Jonathan Green Black Beauty Ultra. Sowing a micro clover lawn blend helps control weeds and reduce fertilizing. Mowing flowers off, however, negates the benefit of providing food and shelter for pollinators. Crimson Clover Crimson clover is a dependable, productive annual which has larger seed and better seedling vigor than most clovers. All content copyright document.write( new Date().getFullYear() ); Pennington Seed, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Micro clover is basically a dwarf version of white clover, and doesnt reach higher than 6 inches, even if you never mow it (1). It also doesnt bloom as much or as often as standard white clover, and if mowed every now and then, it will not bloom at all. When seeded at an appropriate rate, it mixes better with most turfgrass species than common white clover, without forming clumps and without excessively competing with desirable turfgrasses. One concern I would have is already addressed later in your questions. This will introduce air, water, and nutrients into the soil and give your seed a better chance of taking hold. Therefore, you don't need to trim it down too often to maintain a neat lawn. To keep the clover, you will have to keep the less desirables as well. I don't think it could be considered "GMO." It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Strawberry clover isnt as well known as white clover. Again, checking to see if micro clover is recommended in your area is smart, so that you dont end up with disappointing surprises. The guy with bluegrass had his sprinklers going every day, I watered my lawn deeply about once per week, and so did the neighbor with micro-clover. Creeping Thyme is a beast once established, and will do fine for you if youre patient in the early going. Lawns and Microclover | University of Maryland Extension - UMD Its an excellent grass blend that does really well in NJ and up into New England (its what I use to overseed my lawn every other year). Save 12% on your order with promo code LAWNCHICK2023. Prevent anyone from walking on the seeds for at least four weeks after sowing so that the plants have a chance of establishing themselves. If a stand of an annual clover is present in an area for more than one year without being replanted, it is due either to reseeding or delayed germination of previously planted seed. Among the benefits of having and maintaining a clover lawn, clover is visually interesting. It makes most of its growth in mid-spring. To prevent that, plant microclover, which produces fewer flowers than Dutch white clover, or mow before the flowers bloom. 1. No Herbicide: clover is a broad-leaf plant, so applying herbicide will kill the plant. Microclover seed is available as coated and uncoated seed. I feel that laying down a good organic fertilizer with un-coated seed is the best approach, but if youd like to buy pelletized or coated seed, try this one from West Coast Seeds. Microclover lawns are more tolerant of heavy foot traffic. White clover mixes well with fescues, Kentucky bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass. If you want to sow an entire space with micro clover, here are a few tips for success: Micro clover probably works best when overseeded into an existing lawn. A clover-only planting would worry me in regard to its ability to keep the weeds out. Plant the offshoot slightly below the soil in the desired location and secure the plant by pushing the soil down around it. It produces beautiful purple flowers, which make it a popular choice for meadows and wildflower gardens, as well. Being smaller, micro clover grows lower to the ground and does not have the clumping tendency of its larger relative. Why You Should Consider Planting a Clover Lawn | Family Handyman Second, Microclover might not stay micro forever. Microclover: This dwarf variety of Dutch white clover is lower-growing with smaller leaves and fewer flowers than its relative. 4. They grow very close to the ground. Mowing it any lower will stress the plant. "Trifolium repens." It has smaller leaves and fewer flowers than white clover, and it grows lower to the ground (4-6 inches tall). It acts as its own natural fertilizer! Mini Clover or microclover - Ask Extension Using pruning shears or scissors, cut the offshoot to separate it from the mother plant. If your lawn is a mix of grass and clover, the grass will be greener and healthier and wont need fertilizing. So this does raise some questions: Given your reply above, are you saying my BBU lawn should be more drought tolerant than micro-clover? Scotts Turf Builder Clover Lawn Seed for a Greener Lawn with Less Grows 4 to 6 inches tall. If you decide to add some micro clover to your lawn, here are a few tips to ensure success: Ready to overseed your lawn with clover? While micro clover seed might be more expensive than plain grass seed, it also requires less fertilizer and maintenance. Keep reading to learn more about clover lawns and whether or not its a viable option for your outdoor space. This clover does not reseed well due to a low level of hard seed production. White clover is tolerant of close grazing, which makes it a good choice for many pastures, but it is not well-suited for hay situations. White clover and red clover are most commonly grown in combination with cool season perennial grasses such as tall fescue, orchardgrass, timothy, or smooth bromegrass. Water your clover until it is fully established (especially if you live in a hot, dry climate). Do you recommend a brand of seed that doesnt revert back to the larger version of clover? Once your clover is fully established, mow and return clippings to your lawn for a natural feeding. The leaves of micro clover are twice as small as those of white clover, and if you mow the lawn, the leaves regrow even smaller! For this method, all you have to do is toss out seeds and water them, just as you would with grass seed. Thus, it is an excellent reseeder. White clover seed for lawns costs an average of . Beneficial for Pollinators and Wildlife: the flowers of clover are an important nectar source for pollinating insects like bees. No Mowing: as mentioned above, micro clover doesnt require mowing, and if you do choose to mow, it doesnt have to be as often as a grass lawn. It doesn't seem to make any claims about "performing" better than dutch clover in terms of nitrogen fixation, wear hardiness, etc. Because clover seed is so fine, it passes between blades of grass quite effectively, but sow 25% more seed than you would a bare lawn to account for those that dont penetrate to the soil level. Where regular clover leaves can be as big as an adult fingernail or larger, Microclover leaves could be compared to the fingernails of a newborn. This differs from public domain varieties that do not have licenses or royalties attached to them. by Dr. Don Ball, Extension Agronomist/Alumni Professor (Auburn University) and Dr.Garry Lacefield, Extension Agronomist/Professor (University of Kentucky) on behalf of the Oregon Clover Commission, Salem, OR. Gardeners can also benefit from adding clover seed during aeration, the process of loosening up compact soil to help it breathe. Thanks for the time, 5. However, in the Southeast they can be a companion to certain warm season perennial grasses on sites that offer good moisture availability during much of the growing season. It can therefore thrive even if the soil is nitrogen deficient. Other grasses that pair well with micro clover and create a gorgeous lawn are Dwarf Perennial Ryegrass and several types of Fescue grasses, such as Dwarf Fescue varieties, Fine Fescues, and even Tall Fescue.

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